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Norman Burton | |
|---|---|
 Norman Burton in Wonder Woman 1977 | |
| Born | (1923-12-05)December 5, 1923 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 2003(2003-11-29) (aged 79) Imperial, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–1993 |
Norman Burton (December 5, 1923 – November 29, 2003) was an American actor. He was occasionally credited asNormann Burton.
Born inNew York City, Burton was a student of theActors Studio. After early work on stage, he broke into films with a minor role inFright (1956).
His career in film and television was long and relatively successful, but he never achieved major recognition. He played the Hunt Leader, agorilla, in the science fiction filmPlanet of the Apes, notable as being the first ape to be seen by bothTaylor and the audience, and also appeared as a (human) army officer in the second sequelEscape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). In film, he is perhaps best known for his performance asFelix Leiter in theJames Bond filmDiamonds Are Forever (1971). He played Will Giddings, an ill-fated engineer, in the action filmThe Towering Inferno (1974), and his later films includedThe Gumball Rally (1976),Crimes of Passion (1984) andDeep Space (1988). He playedDennis Christopher's mean and ill-fated boss in the slasherFade To Black (1980).
On television, he is best known for his performance as Inter-Agency Defense Command's supervisor Joe Atkinson during the second season of theDC Comics-based fantasy adventure drama seriesThe New Adventures of Wonder Woman starringLynda Carter. He also played Burt Dennis in thesituation comedyThe Ted Knight Show in the spring of 1978, and appeared as GeneralGeorge Marshall in the 1988 television miniseriesWar and Remembrance. Throughout his life, Burton was a devotee of themethod school of acting, and taught method acting inLakeside, California.He also known for playing the part of Dr. Green (Natalie’s father) in the television seriesThe Facts of Life.
Burton died at age 79 from the result of an auto accident while returning fromAjijic, Mexico near theCalifornia-Arizona state line.[1]
| Preceded by Rik Van Nutter | Felix Leiter actor 1971 | Succeeded by David Hedison |
| International | |
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| National | |
